SAUMUR

Saumur Val de Loire

Contact details
Saumur Val de Loire Tourisme
8 Quai Carnot 49400 SAUMUR
Phone +33 2 41 40 20 60
https://www.ot-saumur.en

The Saumur area: between cave dwellings, vineyards and picturesque villages 
The Saumur area has the highest concentration of cave dwellings and other underground sites. Between the levee, on the right bank, and the hillside on its left bank, the Loire River reveals two very different faces and architectural gems, including the châteaux of Saumur and Montsoreau as well as the abbey of Fontevraud. 

« Ville d’Art et d’Histoire » and « Petites Cités de caractère » on the banks of the Loire (labels: Town of Art and History and Small place with character)
The château of Saumur, on its promontory, dominates the town and the Royal River. Downstream, Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault unites three “Villages de charme” (Label : Charming Villages) also named  "Petites cités de caractère", of which the Notre-Dame priory church is the highlight. Beyond Gennes-Val de Loire, dominated by its church, the village Le Thoureil stretches out its beautiful tufa stone houses in an emblematic landscape, with traditional Loire boats and bathed in the lights of the river. 

Magnificent panoramic views on the Royal River 
From Les Rosiers-sur-Loire and Saint-Clément-des-Levées, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the villages on the opposite bank. Focused on market gardening and tree growing, this area is home to a more secret architectural heritage, such as the charming complex of washing places in Longué-Jumelles as well as its bourgeois houses and the imposing neo-Gothic church.

Montsoreau and Fontevraud, architectural highlights between river and forest 
Turquant and Souzay-Champigny, on the left bank of the Loire River, offer unusual underground strolls. Not far from the confluence of the Vienne and Loire Rivers is Montsoreau, ranked among the « Plus Beaux Villages de France » (Most Beautiful Villages of France). The place is famous for the castle and its lady (“La Dame de Monsoreau”, a novel by Alexandre Dumas). A few kilometres further, Fontevraud and its renowned abbey invite you to serenity.

Doué-en-Anjou and its impressive underground spaces 
Around Doué-en-Anjou, cavities were dug vertically from the ground. These curiosities can be explored in the village of Louresse-Rochemenier, at the Bioparc or during the underground dive at Mystère des Faluns, where they take the shape of impressive arched cathedral like spaces of more than 20 meters in height. 

History in the heart of vineyards of Saumur-Champigny and Le Puy-Notre-Dame
At the crossroads of Anjou, Touraine and Poitou vineyards are everywhere in Champigny, Chacé, Varrains, Le Puy-Notre-Dame... Not far from Coudray-Macouard, labeled « Petite Cité de caractère » (Small place with character), you can discover Montreuil-Bellay, on the banks of the Thouet River, with its defensive remains and the wine estate and, a bit further away, the château of Brézé and its vast underground parts.